SUMMARY
- Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese were jointly awarded the Sporting News Athlete of the Year title.
- Clark and Reese have distinct playing styles, positions, and strengths.
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are undeniably among the most popular players in women’s basketball. Clark plays for the University of Iowa, whereas, Reese is a member of the basketball team of Louisiana State University. Being players of two rival teams, comparisons between them are often drawn. Fans are wondering who of the two WNBA prospects played better this year.
Notably, the two recently shared the Sporting News Athlete of the Year title and left fans amazed. Both of them had a remarkable journey and their own set of strengths and weaknesses. Reese has been playing basketball since she was barely 4 years old. She started her college career at Maryland Terrapins and transferred to LSU in 2022. Reese plays at the forward position and led the LSU to a national title making her a fan-favorite.
BREAKING: Angel Reese + Caitlin Clark are the Co-Athletes of The Year ⚡️🔥
via @sportingnews pic.twitter.com/dIdERR5nlu
— Women’s Hoopz #WBB (@WBBWorldWide) December 19, 2023
On the other hand, Clark started playing basketball around the same age as Reese. She was considered one of the top players even when she was graduating from high school. Out of all the impressive offers she had, Clark ended up committing to Iowa Hawkeyes. This decision changed the landscape of the university and set Clark on the path of being one of the best players.
Furthermore, Clark and Reese had a trash-talking session on the court. However, it had more to do with actions than words. Reese showed the finger that she would wear the championship ring to Clark. However, the twist is that none of them intended it to be an insult. Instead, Reese in a post-game interview expressed it has always been fun to be competitive with her. “One day, hopefully, we could even be teammates”, she added.
Was Caitlin Clark statistically better than Angel Reese?
When it comes to deciding who out of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese played better this year, there are multiple factors involved. However, none of them can justify the answer as the two have completely different playing styles, positions, strengths, and so much more. Clark is more of a scorer, whereas, Reese displays dominance in rebounding.
Furthermore, Reese plays in the forward position, and on the other hand, Clark is in the guard position. In 2023, the LSU star was found absent in multiple games for no apparent reason. She played eight games this season, wherein, she had an average score of 19.1 points, 10.5 total rebounds, and 1.8 assists. On the other hand, Clark played twelve games and had an average score of 30.2 points, 6.8 total rebounds, and 7.2 assists.